Act of Kindness
by foxyfeline
Summary: Calleigh's act of kindness turns into a nightmare for her. EC Chapters 9 & 13 are rated M NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Ok I got the idea for this fic from the season 1 finale of Without a Trace so if it seems familar that is why. Of course I changed some things around to make them fit Miami and CSI. Obviously it is E/C since that is all I write!! **

**Oh and I don't own either show so please don't sue me!**

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When she offered to help Calleigh didn't imagine her act of kindness would turn into something she would probably never forget. All she had to do was return a cell phone to one of Eric's witnesses at her job and head home. But as always things never work out the way you plan them; which was why instead of being at home taking a relaxing bath she's playing peace maker to a man with a very loaded gun.

The situation had started out normal enough; she walked into the half empty café, found the witness, Jenny Walters and struck up a casual conversation. She thanked the young woman for her help and retuned her cell phone. It was right about then, Calleigh remembered, that things turned south. Even off duty her senses were on alert. She felt, before she saw, the agitated man enter the café. She could hear the change in Jenny's breathing when she caught sight of the middle aged man and saw the look of fear in her eyes when she realized she knew him.

Calleigh turned to look at the man, who seemed just as nervous as Jenny, scan the room, obviously looking for someone. He didn't say anything to anyone he simply stood there with his hands in his jacket pockets which sent her into alert mode. Suddenly the door to the kitchen opened and a man, who couldn't have been more than twenty five, stepped out to her right. Upon seeing him, the middle aged man reacted pulling out a gun from one of his pockets

Instinctively reaching for her own gun which wasn't there, Calleigh could only watch as the older man aimed his weapon poised to fire. Doing the only thing she could given her lack of a weapon Calleigh yelled "Gun" and scrambled to protect the nearest person.

The shock of having someone react so fast to his movements the middle aged man fired widely into the wall above the twenty five year old who could do nothing hit the ground and cover his head. The few patrons who were present scattered for cover screaming in fear.

Things seemed to get eerily quiet. All Calleigh could hear, besides the beat of her own heart, were the whimpers coming from the waitress Jenny as she shuddered next to her. Casting a glance in the direction of the door, Calleigh was surprised to see the middle aged man still present. In her experience, most would be attackers would have fled after failing to complete their objective or they would have began demanding money from the people present; this man, however he did none of those. He simply stood as if weighing his options.

Looking at all the scared people Calleigh made a split second decision and slowly rose from her position on the floor.

"Stay down" the man nervously yelled at her

Keeping her hands up, Calleigh kneeled on the ground "just relax" she said

"Nobody moves" he replied waiving his gun around

"Ok no one is going anywhere" she replied nodding to those around her to do as they are told "what's your name?" she asked turning her attention back to him

"Shut up" he yelled glancing at her.

It was obvious to Calleigh he hadn't seen her badge, which was still clipped to the waistband of her pants and clearly visible. "Why don't you put the gun down?"

Annoyed that she wouldn't shut up the man quickly turned the gun on her "I told you to shut up" he said.

It was at this point, after making eye contact Calleigh realized how nervous the man was. He was sweating profusely and his hand was shaking; which was by no means a positive sign. She also noticed his change in demeanor when he looked at her which told her he had finally noticed her badge on her hip.

"You're a cop?" he whispered

"I am" she calmly replied

"Good you arrest that piece of garbage on the floor over there" he said pointing his gun at the young man lying on his stomach, who he'd taken a shot at earlier.

"Scott didn't do it Mr. Johnson" Jenny screamed from her spot behind Calleigh

"I don't want to hear it" the man, now identified as Mr. Johnson screamed

"Mr. Johnson" Calleigh started

"Sam, you call me Sam" he replied never taking his gun off Scott

"Ok Sam, tell me why I should arrest him?" Calleigh knew the best thing at this point was to keep him talking. The fact that he had told her his first name meant she already had his attention and on some level had made a connection.

"He murdered my daughter"

"I swear I didn't" Scott yelled from the floor

"Shut up you just shut up" Sam yelled angrily jabbing the gun several times in the young man's direction

"Sam, Sam look at me" Calleigh yelled trying to get his attention back on her

Sam seemed to listen and looked at her, lowering his gun in the process

"This is not the way to go about this"

"No one would listen" he replied casting a glance in Scott's direction

"I swear Mr. Johnson he had nothing to do with it" Jenny pleaded

"Ok Jenny right now I need you to be quiet" Calleigh said over her shoulder never breaking eye contact with Sam

"But he didn't" replied Jenny

"Jenny" Calleigh chided

"How can you protect him? You were supposed to Ashley's best friend" Sam replied moving closer to them

"Sam look at me" Calleigh started "I'm listening and I want to help you but I need you to give me the gun"

Looking at his gun and then back at Calleigh, Sam contemplated his actions as Calleigh held put her hand out for the gun. He seemed ready to hand it over when sirens from approaching police cars spooked him.

Hearing the sirens herself Calleigh broke eye contact with Sam and for the first time noticed a lone patron who'd moved from hiding spot coming towards them

Following her eye movement, Sam began to turn and Calleigh took the opportunity to lunge towards Sam and the gun.

As the police positioned themselves outside the café a lone gunshot rang out.

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**TBC….Evil I know!! Now don't go thinking that because this is based on the episode from Without a Trace you know what is going to happen next! Of course it may but then again it may not!! Review it please**


	2. Chapter 2

Calleigh tried to stem the blood flow but it was no use. No matter how many towels she used or how much pressure she applied the blood just kept flowing.

"Oh god why did he do that?" Sam asked as he paced

"Sam I need you to stay focused" Calleigh called to him. In the commotion Sam had managed to turn and fire his gun hitting the wannae hero patron in the stomach. "You need to keep pressure on the wound" she told one of the other people who had managed to break from their state of shock long enough to help her. Once the person's hands were positioned she got up and made her way to a pacing Sam

"Why would he do something so stupid?"

Calleigh ignored his question "He needs a doctor"

Sam looked over at the bleeding man "I never meant for any of this to happen"

"You walk into a café with a loaded weapon what did you think was going to happen?" she quietly asked

"I just want justice for my daughter"

"This isn't the way to go about it. The police are outside, give me the gun and we'll go out together. I will do everything in my power to see that you're daughter gets justice" For a moment Calleigh thought she had gotten through to him but his stature changed and nodded his head

"It's too late for that" he replied walking away from her

"Nobody leaves and nobody tries what he did" he said pointing to the man bleeding on the floor "or else"

'_So much for my act of kindness'_ Calleigh thought as she watched Sam begin to pace again.

Eric was in serious need of coffee. He'd been working the Ashley Johnson case for over 12 hours straight and his eyes were starting to cross. As he entered the break room he found Ryan intently watching the tv.

"Don't you have work to do?" he asked

"I was taking a break and turned on the news"

"What depressing thing is on now?" he asked as he fixed himself a cup of his favorite coffee

"Some guy is hold up in a café downtown. Cops reported shots fired inside" he replied mindlessly as he watched the tv

Eric turned around walked towards him just as the camera man panned out on the name of the café; his heart stopped "You're sure that is the place?" he asked putting his coffee down and quickly pulling out his cell phone

"Yeah why?" Ryan asked confused

Eric ignored him as he dialed and waited for the receiver to pick up "C'mon pick up" he demanded. "Damn it" he said ending the call and quickly redialing

"Eric what's going on?"

"I asked Calleigh to return a piece of evidence for me and that" he said pointing at the picture on the screen "was the place"

"Do you think she is inside?"

"I don't know she is not answering her phone" he replied dialing again

"Who's phone is at?" yelled Sam

"It's mine" Calleigh replied looking at her purse on the floor where she'd dropped it

"Don't answer it" he ordered

"My colleagues know I was coming here. That is probably one of them calling looking for me"

Disgusted Sam walked over to her purse and pulled out her cell phone. Looking at the call screen he saw the name 'Delko' neatly printed on it "Delko" he said "That's the name of the guy working my daughter's case. You know him?"

"I work with him" she simply stated

"You work at the crime lab?"

"I do"

"And you were just gonna let him go weren't you?" Calleigh didn't answer "Weren't you?" he yelled pointing his gun at her

"I'm not working your daughter's case. I only came by as a favor" she replied as he phone stopped ringing.

Sam looked at her not sure whether or not to believe her; either way he was pissed. He was about to put the cell phone down when it started ringing again. "He's persistent" he said holding her phone out towards her. "Answer it" Calleigh didn't move "Answer it now!"

Taking the phone, Calleigh flipped it opened and answered as calmly as possible "Duquesne"

Eric continued to pace and wait for Calleigh to answer her phone. After telling Ryan about the possibility that Calleigh might be inside the café, he ran off to find Horatio. Frustrated at the constant ringing, Eric as about to launch the phone across the room when he heard the tell tale click of some one picking up at the other end

"Duquesne" the voice on the other end answered

"Calleigh where are you? Are you ok?" he asked

"Right now yes" she replied

"Are you in the café?" he asked afraid of the answer

"I am" she replied obviously distracted

Eric could hear a voice in the background demanding she hand over the phone "What's going on?" he yelled into the receiver

"Give me the phone" Sam demanded as he yanked the object out her hand "Hello Mr. Delko"

"Who is this?"

"This is Sam Johnson, Ashley Johnson's father. I'm here with your friend"

"You hurt her" he started

"She's fine and if you don't want anyone else to get hurt I suggest you keep you cop buddies back and prove that he killed my daughter" he said hanging up the phone

"What do you mean no one else gets hurt?" Eric asked but Sam had already hung up the phone "Damn it"

"Eric, what have we got?" Horatio asked

"She definitely inside"

"Ok then we need to get down there"

"H there's more"

"I'm listening"

"The guy who is holding up the place is Sam Johnson"

"Ashley Johnson's father"

"He told me that if we didn't want anyone else to get to hurt that we had to keep the cops back and prove that he killed his daughter"

"Who's 'he'?"

"I think he is referring to Scott Andrews. He and his girlfriend Jenny Walters work at that café. In fact all three of them did"

"Why was Calleigh there in the first place this isn't her case?"

"She was doing me a favor"

"Ok and Jenny Walters was Ashley's best friend right?"

"Yeah"

"And we cleared Scott didn't we?"

"We had him in for questioning. He was the last one to see Ashley alive and we found evidence of her in his car plus he had a split lip"

"What was his story for that?" inquired Horatio

"He was giving her a ride home. All three of them were friends; he said he dropped her off outside her house and drove away. The split lip came from a fight he got into a few nights before at a club. His story fit; his DNA didn't match the DNA we found on Ashley"

"Still doesn't explain why Mr. Johnson thinks Scott did it"

"He was there when we asked Scott to come in for questioning. He probably made an assumption"

"Obviously the wrong one"

"This is my fault"

"Did we have any other suspects?" Horatio asked ignoring Eric's statement

"Just one; the guy Scott got into a fight with at the club. Apparently he had been harassing Ashley at work and showing up at some of the places the three of them went"

"Ok I will get Frank to check him out. We're going down to the scene"

"Shouldn't I stay here?" He really didn't want to stay at the lab but he didn't understand Horatio's reasoning

"He's made contact with you personally which means you are compromised. Wolfe and Boa Vista can handle the evidence"

Eric nodded and followed him out of the break room. The whole time praying that Calleigh would make it out of this unharmed.

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**TBC….Don't forget to review!!**


	3. Chapter 3

Eric hopped out of the hummer as soon as it was put in park. As he and Horatio approached the barricade of police, Eric still couldn't shake the feeling all of this was his fault.

"What have we got?" Horatio asked one of the officers

"We can't see much inside because the blinds are drawn and our perp won't the answer our attempts to make contact"

"We've already been in contact with him; his name is Sam Johnson" Horatio replied

"There were shots fired?" asked Eric

"One shot alerted passerby's that's what got us here and then another about 10 minutes after. Since we can't see in we don't know if anyone is injured"

"One of my people is in there. Do you mind if we try?"

"Be my guest"

"Eric call Calleigh's cell phone again; I want to talk to Mr. Johnson"

Eric nodded and dialed the familiar number

Calleigh gently lifted the blood soaked towels to get a look at the bullet wound. The blood flow had slowed but the man was still losing a lot of blood.

"How bad is it?" the injured man asked

"Blood flow is slowing" she replied

"But not stopping"

"No" she quietly answered

"It's cold"

"You're going into shock" she said to the man. Looking to one of the tables she stood up and ripped the table cloth off the table and wrapped it around the bleeding man. "Grab as many of them as you can and wrap him in them" she told the woman who had been helping her. The woman nodded as she went back over to Sam "He needs a doctor"

Sam merely looked at her and then the man bleeding on the floor. The silence in the room was broken by the ring of Calleigh's cell phone. Pulling it out of his pocket Sam looked at the caller and answered "hello"

"Mr. Johnson"

"Who I am speaking with?"

"My name is Horatio Caine; I'm with the Miami-Dade crime lab"

"Good for you" he spat

"Mr. Johnson I am here to tell you that Scott Andrews did not kill your daughter Ashley"

"That's a lie" Sam replied peaking between the blinds to see who he was talking to

"I'm telling you the truth Mr. Johnson we have proof that eliminates Scott"

"Then who killed her?"

"We are working on that but right now I need you to tell me if someone inside is injured"

Sam hesitated looking at the people around the café before stopping at the man bleeding on the floor

"Mr. Johnson"

Sam couldn't answer he simply shoved the phone in Calleigh's hands

"Horatio" she said

"Calleigh is someone injured?" Horatio asked

At hearing Horatio call out her name, Eric moved closer to see if he could catch any of the conversation

"Yes there is a GSW to the abdomen"

"How bad?"

"The bleeding has slowed but not stopped completely; he needs a doctor" the last part of her statement was more for Sam's benefit than Horatio's

"Do you think he will let him leave?"

"I don't know"

"Ok that is enough" Sam said ripping the cell phone of Calleigh's hands "you want something you find the person who killed my daughter" he spat hanging up the phone

"There is one gun shot wound in there" Horatio told the officer in charge

"We think we can get a small team in through the back by using the kitchen entrance" replied the officer in charge

"I don't want to provoke this guy. We have no idea how many people are in there and he is obviously very emotional right now" stated Horatio

"We can't wait forever"

"Let my team do its job and get the real killer that may convince him to let them go"

"You don't know that"

"And you don't know anything that is going on in there" piped in Eric who was afraid this cop was going to send in a swat team and get everyone in there killed; get Calleigh killed.

"We have a report with him; just give us some time" pleaded Horatio

"Fine we'll do it your way for now"

The silence in the room was deafening. Calleigh wasn't sure what to do; she knew the man on the floor needed a doctor but she didn't want to push an obviously agitated Sam. This was so not how she pictured her day ending.

Checking the man's wound again she was mildly relieved to see more of the bleeding had stopped but the man looked pale and his breathing was becoming labored which screamed internal bleeding to her. Changing the blood soaked towels and wrapping him back up in the table clothes to keep him warm she took a deep breathe and said a silent prayer that this man lived through this.

"It's getting hard to breathe" the man whispered

"Just hold on" she said squeezing his hand

The man nodded too weak to speak any further

Making a decision, Calleigh stalked over to the corner where Sam was sitting. "That man over there is dying and needs a doctor"

"I know that" he whispered

"Then do something about it"

At that moment the man started coughing and gasping for breathe. Seeing the man struggle for air Sam began to panic. "This wasn't supposed to happen"

"You have the power to keep that man alive"

Sam hesitated

"Excuse me" a woman said

"What?" snapped Sam

"He isn't breathing" the woman stated

Calleigh immediately rushed over to his side and checked for a pulse. When she didn't feel one she tried CPR but after a few moments she realized it was futile and stopped.

"Is he dead?" asked Sam

"Yes he is" replied Calleigh

"No no no" Sam muttered as the cell phone in his pocket began to ring again. Sam continued to pace as the phone continued to ring.

"Sam you have to answer the phone"

"None of this" he muttered incoherently

"He's not answering" stated Eric

"Look we're going on four hours here"

"We have to suspect in custody you just need to wait until the DNA comes back" spat Horatio. The cop was starting to get on his nerves. "Eric?"

"He still not answering"

"Keep calling" Horatio said starting to walk away

"Wait hello?" Eric said "Calleigh is that you?" he asked relieved to hear her voice

"Yeah it's me" she replied

"How are you?" he asked sensing something in her voice.

"I've been better" she replied

"We got the guy in custody we're just waiting for the DNA to come back"

"Ok I'll tell him"

"How's the gunshot victim?"

"He didn't make it" she replied "Listen Eric put a rush on that DNA will ya" she added before hanging up the phone.

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**TBC…Tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

"H we have a problem" Eric said as he approached Horatio and the officer in charge

"What is it?"

"Gun shot victim is dead" he stated

"Is the DNA back yet?"

"I just talked to Valera and told her to put a rush on it but no, not yet"

"I think we've waited long enough" the officer in charge stated

"We just need some more time" pleaded Eric

"I have a fatality in there, this guy is gonna get desperate and I can't afford any more deaths"

"Please just a little…" Eric started but was interrupted by an officer

"Sir, the front door is opening"

Sam sat in the corner staring at the gun in his lap. He couldn't believe what he'd done. All he wanted was justice for his daughter but instead he ended up murdering an innocent man; He had nothing left.

Calleigh watched Sam with trepidation. It was obvious to her he was broken and truthfully she was afraid at what he might do next. She watched with a careful eye as he rose from spot in the corner and moved to the center of the room.

"Everyone out" he barked

No one moved unsure of exactly what he meant

"Go ahead get out; you can leave" he yelled pointing to the door

Everyone in the room looked to Calleigh for confirmation and she nodded "just move slowly and keep your hands up"

Hesitantly everyone began moving towards the door their hands raised in the air to show they were unarmed. When it came time for Jenny and Scott to leave Sam stopped them.

"Sam" Calleigh started

"I'm sorry" he mumbled to them and then motioned for them to leave

They started and then stopped turning back to Sam "I'm sorry I couldn't help her" Scott said

Sam didn't say anything he just motioned for them to leave. Once the door closed behind them he turned to Calleigh "you too, go"

Calleigh started towards the door and then stopped; realization dawning on her. Looking back to Sam she saw him move back into the corner and finger the gun in his hand.

"You don't want to do that" she said knowing that look all too well.

"I don't have anything left" he said raising the gun

Seeing this Calleigh launched herself at Sam.

"Hold you fire" yelled Horatio as he and Eric moved to help the now freed hostages to safety

"H" warned Eric when he didn't see Calleigh emerge from the café.

"I know" he replied. "My officer is still inside" he told the officer in charge

"Teams hold back" he said into his walkie talkie "How long do you…" his sentence was cut off by the sound of gunfire

"_Shots fired, shots fired"_ came the announcement over the walkie talkie

"Alright we can't wait any longer, move in" the officer commanded

"Eric" Horatio said unholstering his weapon and motioning for him to follow

Eric felt the blood pounding in his ears as he and Horatio made their way toward the front door behind the SWAT team.

Calleigh held onto the gun for dear life and checked Sam to make sure he was ok. She briefly glanced up at the spot in the ceiling where the bullet had gone; satisfied it wasn't in either of them.

"Are you ok?" she quietly asked Sam

"Why?" he asked

She was about to answer when the SWAT team burst through the door guns drawn. Throwing her hands up to show non hostility she yelled "we're clear"

The SWAT team lowered their weapons and one radioed the announcement that it was all safe to proceed. Taking the gun from Calleigh, one of the officers asked if she harmed. She smiled weakly and replied no as two other officers placed Sam in hand cuffs.

"Calleigh" Eric called out as he and Horatio bound into the café

"Over here" she said weakly

Eric immediately rushed to her side the urge to sweep her into a hug so overwhelming but he held back and instead grabbed hold of her upper arm. "Are you ok?"

"I've been better" she repeated her earlier mantra

"Calleigh I want you to get checked out by the paramedics" Horatio said taking in her appearance

"The blood isn't mine" she quietly repeated glancing over at the table cloth covered body

"Still, I want you checked out"

She absently nodded and headed out of the café towards where the paramedics were stationed.

"Keep an eye on her Eric"

"You got it" he replied taking off in the direction Calleigh went in.

Calleigh sat quietly and let the paramedics poke and prod her till their hearts were content that she was in perfect health. One of them told her that her blood pressure was a little high; which of course was absolutely no shock considering what she just went through. While she sat there several of the hostages came over and thanked her for keeping them safe and one even referred to her as a hero; she didn't feel much like a hero though. In truth she didn't feel much of anything

Eric watched her as the hostages came over to her one by one, thanking her and to an outsider it would seem as though the small smiles and head nods she were them meant she was being grateful and responsive but he knew otherwise. He knew those smiles and nods were fake and only meant to be polite; he knew her too well to know that on the inside behind the façade something was wrong.

As soon as the paramedic cleared her he was at her side "C'mon, I'll take you home"

"I really need to be alone right now" she muttered to him before walking off towards the surrounding crowd, her arms tightly wrapped around her mid section and her hair lightly blowing in the breeze.

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**TBC…..Ok use that little review button in the bottom left hand corner or no more chapters! Reviews make me happy ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

Eric tried, unsuccessfully, to get a hold of Calleigh that night; it was obvious she didn't want to be reached. He thought about going over to her place but decided against it since it was clear she wanted to be alone. It hurt him deep down inside to know he was the one responsible for her pain. His mind kept replaying all the 'if only' scenarios over and over; if only he hadn't run into her in the lobby; if only she hadn't been the nice person she was and volunteered; if only he hadn't been lazy enough to accept. They all played in his mind and the end result was the same; it was his fault.

Deciding he couldn't take the silence of his apartment and own mind he made the decision to go out and have a drink. _"A large stiff drink"_ he thought to himself as he grabbed his keys and headed out of his front door.

He drove around till he found a semi secluded bar off the strip so he wouldn't be recognized or disturbed. He simply wanted a drink nothing more, nothing less. Pushing through the door into the darkened room he was relieved to find the place half empty. Walking over to the bar he sat down and waited for the bartender to see him.

"What can I get ya?" he asked

"Something strong" Eric replied pulling his money out

"I got just the thing" the man replied turning around to grab a bottle from the shelf and pouring it into a small glass. "Here ya go" he said placing the glass in front of him.

"Thanks" he nonchalantly replied taking a sip; letting out a small hiss as the liquid passed his lips and slid down his throat leaving a warm trail in its wake.

"Bad day" the bartender asked

"Yeah"

"Seems to be a run on those today" the bartender replied titling his head in the direction of another patron seated at the other end of the bar

Looking in the direction of the man's nod, Eric was shocked at what he saw; there sitting at the other end of the bar nursing a drink was Calleigh. "Calleigh" he whispered, blinking several times to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing.

"She came in about half an hour before you did; not very talkative. Been nursing that drink since she ordered it too" the man replied before leaving him to attend to another customer.

Eric sat and watched her for a moment; being sure to soak up every detail that was unique only to Calleigh. He noted the bartender was right; if anything she was staring at the liquid in the glass not drinking it.

"Oh hell" he muttered to himself as he rose and moved towards her.

"I was wondering when you were going to come over" she said not lifting her eyes from the glass.

"When did you first know?"

"Saw your reflection when you walked in" she replied nodding to the mirror that lined the wall behind the bar.

"I didn't follow you here" he replied sitting down next to her

"I know" she replied finally making eye contact "it's not your style"

"I tried to call….I was worried"

"I just needed some space; time to think" she replied

They sat in a comfortable silence both staring at their respective glasses but neither drinking any of the liquid they contained

"I'm sorry about today" he said breaking the silence

"What?" she asked

"If I hadn't given you the cell phone then you never would have gone there"

"You couldn't have known what was going to happen and if I remember correctly, you didn't twist my arm, I offered to go"

"I should have…I should have known the father would go after Scott or at least I should have told him we excluded Scott as a suspect"

"This isn't your fault; he wanted someone to blame"

On the logical level he knew she was right; there was no one to blame except the person who killed Ashley Johnson or Mr. Johnson for taking the course of action he did but his heart felt a different way

"Those people thanked me for saving their lives; one even called me a hero"

"You are. You kept them alive."

"Not all of them" she muttered gazing down into her glass

Hearing the words, it finally dawned on Eric why she was so upset; she blamed herself for the death of the man in the café. He had just been too busy feeling guilty for his own role in the day's events to see it. "You did everything you could to save him"

"I wasn't fast enough"

"Calleigh"

"I practically had the gun in my hand but he reacted before I did; he saw that man before I did"

"You had no way of knowing that guy was going to do what he did"

"I should have; I was facing him. He was in my line of vision not Sam's; I was just too focused on the gun and not my surroundings"

"It's called tunnel vision"

"Yeah well I'm trained not to have it" she snapped "There were other people in that room and I blocked them out and one of them ended up dead because of that"

"If he didn't shoot him he would've shot Scott or some else"

She snorted "that makes me feel a whole lot better"

"You know what I mean"

"I let the situation get out of hand"

"You kept him from killing anyone else and you kept him from killing himself; you did everything you could; no one thinks any different or any less of you"

"He asked me why"

"Who asked you 'why?" he asked confused

"Sam. He asked me why I stopped him from killing himself"

"Why did you?"

"I don't know"

Pushing his drink away from him, Eric stood up off is stool "I'll drive you home" he stated

"How do you know I didn't drive myself?"

"I would've seen your car; it's hard to miss" he joked and she smiled. It was the first smile he'd seen from her since the whole ordeal and it felt good to know he put it there no matter how small it was.

"I can take a cab" which was Calleigh speak for 'leave me alone'

"I don't think you should" he replied pushing a little

"Why, do you think when you leave I am going to get drunk and start dancing on the bar?"

Typical Calleigh, he thought; always changing the subject or making light of something serious "I don't think you should be alone"

"I promise I'm not going to do anything stupid"

"I know" he replied leaning in closer to her "but I what I should have said was you don't have to go through this alone"

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment a silent understanding passing between them, before Calleigh broke contact and quietly rose from her chair. "Thank you" she said as she moved passed him towards the door

"Just returning the favor" he replied; thinking back to a time when she talked him back from the edge after Marisol died. She'd spoke the same words to him then and he'd never forgotten them.

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**TBC…Ok so what do you think? Let me know...especially if you want more!!**


	6. Chapter 6

Calleigh returned to work two days later, the events of that day still weighing heavy on her. Horatio had ordered her to take the time off because he knew if he gave her the choice she would be in her lab working. She took the required trip to the county shrink but she didn't feel any better after it than she did before she walked through the door. The shrink told her she was repressing but the only thing she was repressing was her anger at the ignorance the woman had to assume she knew anything about her. Shrink also told her that going through the ordeal alone would only make things worse. Calleigh kindly informed her she wasn't going through it alone; and it was true, in a way. Eric had been a constant fixture in her apartment throughout the weekend and while they didn't necessarily talk about the incident, they did spend time together so she wouldn't be alone. It was splitting hairs, Calleigh knew that but at the same time it seemed to satisfy the shrink which got her out of the office that much quicker.

As she walked through the lab she was very aware of the looks and whispers her co-workers shared as she passed by. She saw the pity in their eyes when she made eye contact and even heard it in their voice when she spoke to them. It was obvious they were walking on egg shells around her; trying not to talk about what was so blatantly on all their minds because they were afraid if they did, she would break.

Finding sanctuary in her gun lab, Calleigh sat down and began working on any open cases. She wasn't alone for long; soon after her arrival the door to the lab swung open and Horatio sauntered in.

"Calleigh"

"Horatio" she plainly stated back

"I thought you were going to take some time off"

"I did"

He looked at incredulously

"You ordered me to take two days, so I did"

"I was hoping you'd see it as an opportunity to take more time"

"I'm fine"

"Calleigh"

"Horatio, I'm fine. Unless you think I can't do my job"

"I never said that….I just don't want to rush back if its not necessary. No one will think any less of you if you take more time off"

"I'm fine" she repeated

"Ok then; just remember what I said" he said making his way back to the door of the lab. Just as he was about to push open the door and leave he turned around "Oh and Calleigh my door is always open"

"I know, thank you"

He nodded and then left without saying another word. Staring at the door as it swung closed as if making sure he wasn't going to come back in, Calleigh sighed and went back to work.

She'd been working for several hours when Paula, the officer on duty at the desk, waked into her lab "Hey Paula" she greeted

"Hi, there's umm some one here to see you"

"Oh really? Who?" she asked not really paying much attention

"If you're busy I can just have them talk to Horatio or someone else" she stammered

Her nervousness caused Calleigh's antenna's to perk up "Well it depends on who is here Paula"

She could tell the woman was seriously regretting coming to her first and not Horatio but it was pretty obvious she was stuck with her decision. Paula swallowed and made ready to tell her who her visitor was when the door to her lab swung open and Horatio entered.

"I can handle this Paula, thank you" he quickly said walking over to them

"Yes sir" Paula said in a very thankful tone before she scurried away

"Horatio what's going on?"

"There is a woman here to see you"

"I got that much out of Paula"

He hesitated for a moment and that made her nervous "The man who was killed, Marc Hanson, his widow is here; she wants to speak with you"

"What?" she asked shocked. '_what could the woman of the man she couldn't save possibly want to say to her' _she thought as she stared at Horatio

"If you don't want to speak with her I will tell her that"

"Why?" was all she could muster.

"I don't know but she was adamant she speak with you"

Calleigh was silent

"Again if you don't want to"

"No I will talk with her" she said quickly pulling off her lab coat and stalking out of the room

Calleigh walked to reception desk where Paula, who nervously smiled at her, pointed to a woman sitting nervously on a bench in the waiting area. Taking a few steps towards the woman, Calleigh could make out her emotional state. Taking a deep breathe she slowly approached the woman.

"Excuse me" she said as she approached "I'm Calleigh Duquesne; I was told you wanted to speak with me" she hoped her voice did sound as nervous as she thought it did

"Yes hello; I'm Marc Hanson's wife" she replied gripping the purse on her shoulder tighter

"Who's Calleigh talking to?" Eric asked Horatio as he came to stand by him

"The widow of Marc Hanson"

"The guy who died in the café?"

"Yes"

"You think that is such a good idea?" Eric asked. He hadn't told Horatio, nor would he, about finding Calleigh in the bar that night. He'd spent all weekend at Calleigh's, never talking about what happened in the café or afterwards in the bar, just simply spending time together, enjoying each other's company. He had to admit, even given the circumstances he enjoyed the time they spent together.

"Mrs. Hanson was very adamant about speaking with Calleigh and I don't know if it is a good idea or not" Horatio replied watching the two women sit down

"They, the other people in the café, told me what you did for Marc" she said between sniffles "how you tried to help him"

"Mrs. Hanson, I can't tell you how sorry I am that I couldn't do more to save your husband" Calleigh said her voice cracking under the emotional stress

"I just wanted to meet you and say thank you for being there for him" the widow said finally breaking down in tears "I'm glad he had someone there to take care of him the way you did"

Calleigh had no idea what to say and she was equally surprised when the woman pulled her into a hug and thanked her again sobbing. Doing the only thing she could think of, she returned the hug.

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**TBC….Ok good, bad, what? let me know!!**


	7. Chapter 7

Calleigh let the tears fall freely down her cheeks as strong arms held her tight. After Marc Hanson's widow left she'd held it together for the rest of the day but as soon as she closed the door to her apartment the water works started. She collapsed in her foyer from the grief and guilt and that is where Eric found her when he used his spare key to her place. Looking up to find him kneeling in front of her, she simply grabbed onto him and let the repressed anguish pour out of her.

* * *

As soon as she left the lab, Eric knew he had to follow her. After the widow left he tried approaching her but she blew him off saying she fine; he knew she wasn't. He watched her move through her duties the rest of the day like a robot not really feeling her work but just doing it. When he knocked on her door and she didn't answer he panicked. He she was home and knew she shouldn't be alone which was why he used the key she'd given him. His heart broke when the swung open and he saw her crumpled on her knees crying uncontrollably. Covering the distance between them in a few steps he crouched in front her and let her move to him. He was nearly knocked over when she grabbed onto him and pulled herself into his body. Holding her tightly, Eric felt his heart break as her body shook with each sob. 

After her sobs died down she simply clung to him, her body occasionally shaking "Cal?" he called to her but she didn't answer "Calleigh come on let's get off the floor" he said lifting her up onto her feet.

She stood there staring at the floor her face red and stained with tears. "I'm sorry" she whimpered

"Why are you sorry?" he asked half shocked

"I didn't mean to" she started then stopped

"Cal you don't have to feel sorry….you are human" he replied leading her over to her couch and sitting them down

"It's just…she….she thanked me" she said the tears starting to fall again

"Thanked you?"

"Yeah for being there for her husband and doing everything I could…..but I didn't do everything…..if I had he'd still be alive" she replied her voice rising in frustration

"Hey" he said grabbing her shoulders to make her look at him "you did everything you could to save him"

"He has a three year old daughter who is never going to know her father"

"It's not your fault that Johnson walked in there with a gun. You can't control the outcome of everything in life"

"No but I can try" she whispered as if distancing herself from their conversation

"Yeah you can but you have to accept that always you can't" he replied grabbing her face in his hands to keep her focused on him.

"I just can't stop thinking about him. His face, the look in his eyes when he…" she left the last hanging. Marc Hanson's last moments replayed over and over in her mind every time she closed her eyes.

Seeing her obvious distress, Eric closed the distance between them and pulled her onto his lap and hugged her tightly. More than once over the weekend she'd woken up in a sweat from a nightmare. The first time he simply stayed on the couch when he heard her moving around her room and bathroom but the second time she woke up so terrified that it scared him. They never spoke of it and he didn't want to embarrass her by bringing it up.

"I just can't get passed his eyes" she muttered burrowing herself deeper into his warmth.

"Why don't you lie down and I will fix you something to eat"

"I don't think I can eat"

"Well I'm gonna make you something anyway, so lie down and relax" he replied breaking the hug and coaxing her to lie back on the coach. She rescinded and curled up on her side on her couch.

"Thank you" she whispered as he covered her with a blanket

"You're welcome" he replied taking a moment to stroke her cheek with the back of his and laying a feather light kiss on her forehead. He wasn't sure what made him do it but Calleigh didn't seem to mind and he sure as hell didn't. Taking a few steps past the couch he stopped and turned around to look at her. She had her eyes closed and seemingly looked relaxed but he could tell by her eye movement she was anything but.

* * *

Calleigh could feel his eyes on her as she lay there. She always had sixth sense about when people were staring at her and with Eric, it was even stronger. She wasn't sure what made him kiss her forehead but truth be told, she enjoyed it. She enjoyed everything about Eric. She mentally kicked herself for falling apart like that in front of him but she was glad it was him and not anyone else; after all she trusted him with every fiber of her being. After a few moments of forcing herself to keep her closed her exhaustion took over and she fell asleep.

She woke sometime later to a delicious smell filling her apartment.

* * *

Eric rummaged through Calleigh's cupboards not sure what to make. Calleigh loved to cook, the southern in her she'd once said, so she had plenty of ingredients but he wanted to make something quick and easy. He smiled to himself when he found the perfect item to cook. He knew from experience that they were her favorite and the perfect thing to help her unwind.

* * *

"Hey" she said coming up behind him while he set the table

"Hey" he replied quickly turning around

"Something smells good"

"Yeah, your favorite" he said triumphantly holding up a plate for her to see

Her face broke out into a huge smile when she saw what was on the plate "pancakes" she squealed as she sat down at the table

"Yeah I figure they would be easy to make" he replied putting the plate down in front of her "I mean not that you didn't have enough ingredients in there for me whipped up something better"

"Southern women always have full a kitchen" she said as she cut one of the pancakes on her plate.

"What in case an army drops by?" he joked as he joined her at the table

"Always be prepared, that is what my grandmother taught me" she joked back before eating a piece of pancake.

Eric laughed. It was nice to see her smiling and joking again. "How was your nap?"

"Good thank you. How long was I asleep?"

"20 minutes at most" he replied shoving a huge piece into his mouth

"Hungry?" she asked

"Starving. I skipped lunch" he said between chews

They ate in silence for a few moments, each occasionally stealing glances at one another when they were sure the other wasn't looking. When they were finished Eric started to clean up but Calleigh stopped him

"You don't have to do that, you cooked" she said taking the plate from his grasp

"Another southern tradition?"

"No it's just simple politeness" she replied putting the plates in the sick and beginning to wash them.

Without saying a word Eric stood next to her and began drying the plates she cleaned. He was amazed at the ease with which they worked together. Working with someone all day with ease was much different than being in their home after work and doing something as intimate as doing the dishes.

"Thank you again, for earlier" she said stopping what she was doing and turning towards him.

"You don't have to keep thanking me" he replied looking into her eyes. "We're friends, that's what friends do"

"Yeah" she whispered back

Neither was sure who moved first but before both of them knew it they were locked in a passionate kiss. As quickly as the kiss started it ended, leaving both of them slightly breathless.

"Umm…I'm sorry…I didn't" stammered Eric who was the first to recover

"No….I" replied Calleigh equally at a loss for words

They shared a nervous laugh.

"Umm I'm sorry" he said

"Don't worry about it" she replied "Let's just umm"

"Maybe I should go" he suggested

"Don't be silly it just happened….we're adults"

"Yeah you're right" he replied. Although he so wanted it to happen again he wasn't about to press his luck he knew Calleigh kept guns in her home.

"So do you want to watch a movie or something?" she asked

"Sure" he replied following back to her den area

They watched the movie in a comfortable silence occasionally talking about a part or one of the actors but nothing more. They never broached the subject of the kiss but it was still fresh on both of their minds when it came time for Eric leave

"I'll uh see you tomorrow" he said as he opened her front door

"Yeah. Thanks again for today" she said raising a hand to stop him from responding "I know its what friends do but I really appreciated it"

"You needed it" he replied

She looked at him confused

"It doesn't help to hold it in trust me I know" he added before turning and leaving

Calleigh watched him walk away; her emotions in even more turmoil but for a whole other reason.

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**TBC….. So how was that? Sorry for the wait...life got in the way. Reivew it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the long wait...I had a massive case of writer's block !!**

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Eric watched as Calleigh walk passed his lab and down the hall towards DNA. After he left her place he went home, took a cold shower and spent the rest of the night lying awake staring at the ceiling. Part of him chided himself for his actions while the other part of him wanted nothing more than to go back to her place and take her in his arms and never let go.

Their friendship had always been that; a friendship. At one point he felt as though things were going to evolve into something more but then Speed died and they drifted apart. He went on a one night stand spree and she, well she just fell into herself. She became less playful and more standoffish when it came to emotional responses. Of course her father's antics never helped and whenever he came around she would be even more closed off than ever in the days following.

"Eric?" a voice called "Eric"

"Hmm…what?" he replied snapping out of his reverie to see a slightly confused Ryan standing in front of him

"I asked if you were ok"

"Yeah I was just thinking. What's up?"

"I wanted to know Valera signed off on the DNA from the Ashley Johnson case. With all the commotion with Mr. Johnson and the murder of the councilmen's aide, things got a little backed up"

"I heard but thanks" he replied just as Calleigh passed by his lab again, presumably heading back to her lab

Ryan saw her too "How's she doing?"

"You know Calleigh" he lied. He wasn't about to betray her confidence to Ryan about the previous nights events.

"Yeah I asked her and she just said she was fine. I don't think she is though"

"What makes you say that?"

"She seems distracted today; which is unusual for her ya know?"

"Did you talk to her about it?"

"You're kidding right?" Ryan snorted "She was even more closed off about it than when I asked her about what went on in the café"

"Calleigh's a private person"

"You're not the least bit concerned?"

"Of course I'm concerned but if she says she's fine I'm not gonna push"

"Alright" he replied turning to leave

"Hey" Eric called out and Ryan stopped "distracted how?"

Ryan thought for a second before replying "I don't know. She just didn't seem like she was totally focused… that's all I meant"

"Alright, thanks man"

If Ryan thought he was confused when he walked into Eric's lab he was even more confused when walked out.

* * *

Calleigh focused the lens of her microscope in order to get a better look at the striations of the bullets she was examining but it was no use; she just couldn't seem to focus; and it wasn't for lack of sleep. Sleep had actually come easy to her for the first time in what seemed to be forever. For once her dreams weren't filled with gun shots and blood or images from her troubled childhood but rather hope and joy. Of course Eric was a constant figure in those sequences either innocently or not; he was always there.

When she'd gone to see Valera she didn't miss Eric's eyes as they followed her when she passed by his lab the first time and she definitely didn't miss both his and Ryan's eyes on her the second time. She knew Eric wouldn't betray her confidence but she also knew Ryan wouldn't give up when it came to getting information about her state of mind.

"Hey"

Looking up from her microscope she was pleasantly surprised to see Eric standing, very stiffly she noted, in her lab "Eric, hey"

"You talk to Valera?"

"Yeah"

"You ok?"

"I will be" she replied

"Those from the Cook case?" he asked nodding at her microscope

"Yes and they match. Have a look" she replied motioning towards the microscope

Eric stepped towards the table just as Calleigh went to step away in the same direction and they inadvertently ended bumping into each other. Normally they would have laughed and side stepped each other but given what happened the previous night and considering it was fresh in both their minds, they didn't move.

Calleigh was sure something was about to happen and she eagerly awaited it but the door to her lab suddenly opened causing them to spring apart.

"Hey Ryan, what's up?" Calleigh asked

Ryan looked from Calleigh to Eric and before focusing solely on Calleigh "I was wondering if you had the striation results for the Cook case yet. They weren't ready the last time I was here" he mumbled the last part and it wasn't lost to the other occupants in the room.

"I do and you can tell Horatio they match" she replied handing him her report and deciding to let his mumbled comment slide for the time being.

Eric knew Ryan was trying to assert his earlier point that Calleigh seemed distracted and under normal circumstances he might have agreed with him but considering he knew the truth as to what was going on with Calleigh, it just irked him.

"Thanks" Ryan said taking the report and leaving but not before catching the glare Eric threw in his direction.

Once the door shut behind him Eric turned back to Calleigh expecting to find her as far away from him as possible but he was pleasantly surprised to find her standing in the same spot. "He gets weirder by the day"

"He's right I was distracted" she started

"Ignore him ok? I'm gonna get back to work" he replied walking towards the door. Eric couldn't get out the room fast enough because at this point he didn't trust himself in her presence.

"Ok, I'll talk to you later"

"Yeah"

Calleigh watched him leave; she'd wanted to tell him the reason she'd been so distracted was because of him and not for the reasons he probably thought. "_Damn"_ she thought "_now what?_"

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**TBC….Ok let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok writer's block seems to have dissapated for the time being...Enjoy!

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**

Calleigh knocked a few times and waited for the occupant to open the door. After what almost happened in the lab today she needed to talk to Eric. She figured a peace offering would be a good start so she picked up a pizza which was currently starting to burn her hand while stood on his porch. When no one answered after a moment she figured either he didn't want to speak with her or he wasn't home so she started to leave. As she did the door flew open to reveal a shirtless Eric.

"Calleigh" he greeted "I was just getting out of the shower when I heard the knock" _A very cold shower_ he thought to himself

Calleigh felt her throat dry up and she could care less if the box melted her fingers clear off her hand. While she'd seen Eric in a sleeveless wetsuit before she'd never seen him totally shirtless and seeing him standing there with his tussled wet hair only made her want him more. "I figured since we skipped lunch and I owed you a meal" she said holding up the pizza

"Depends" he said

"On what?"

"On what's on the pizza"

"It might have mushrooms on it"

"Then you can definitely come in" he replied pushing the door open for her to enter.

"Oh gee thanks" she joked as she walked by him; being sure to step a little closer to him than necessary when she passed over the threshold.

* * *

Once the pizza was finished off they lounged in his living room, Calleigh on the couch and Eric sitting on floor leaning against it, making idle conversation and just relaxing. That's what Calleigh loved most about spending time with Eric; they didn't need to talk to enjoy each other's company.

Eric rolled his head around on his neck a few times in order to loosen the knots in his shoulders. Sleeping on Calleigh's couch, while nice, had not been great on his shoulders.

"Stiff?"

"Yeah"

"Sorry I know my couch isn't the most comfortable"

"It's ok" he replied rubbing his sore shoulder

Taking the initiative, Calleigh crawled along the couch and positioned herself behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Cal?" he asked a little taken back

"Relax" she said as she began to massage his shoulders. She knew she was doing a good job when Eric let out a low moan. When he rolled his head to the side she couldn't help herself and she leaned down and softly kissed the exposed skin.

Eric moaned

Smiling, Calleigh continued to massage his shoulders planting small kisses as she went.

"Cal" he said turning around on the floor to face her; his eyes flicking from her eyes to lips and back to eyes

"Eric" she whispered leaning their lips tentatively touching.

"Calleigh" he half whispered and half moaned as his hands began to roam up her thighs "you're not stopping me"

"No" she replied kissing him deeply

"Are you sure?" he replied pushing her back onto the couch, cover her body with his own trailing kisses along her neck

"Never more sure of anything" she said reaching for the belt of pants.

Moaning into her neck he wrapped his arms around her and lifted up off the couch. Wrapping her legs around him for better leverage, Calleigh cupped his face in her hands and kissed him passionately. They stood there, bodies locked together, tongues dueling and hands groping for a few minutes before Eric found the strength to start the trek towards his bedroom.

Moving her lips to his ear Calleigh whispered, "Take me to bed"

Hearing her whisper those words into his ear caused Eric to nearly drop her. They were words he had dreamed of hearing come from her mouth since the day they met. "God Calleigh"

He was rewarded with an evil giggle and more nipping of his ear. When they finally reached his bedroom he carefully laid her down on the bed and began to remove her clothes.

Not one to be idle, Calleigh sat up and immediately reached for his belt buckle, undoing it, pulling down his zipper and reaching inside his jeans to grab hold of him.

"God" he moaned as he quickly undid the buttons of her blouse. Once she was out of the afore mentioned object he leaned down and latched his mouth around one of her bra covered breasts; earning a shudder from her as he did.

"Eric" she moaned as she arched her chest into his mouth

Quickly divesting each other of the rest of their clothing, they climbed under the sheets with Eric on top. Eric took a moment to study the woman beneath him. Her eyes were glazed over with lust and her cheeks were flushed from their heavy petting session; she couldn't have looked more beautiful

"You're beautiful" he whispered as he stroked her cheek, moving an errant strand of hair off her face.

"Thank you" she whispered before rising up to kiss him. "You're not so bad yourself" she added as she reached down between their bodies and guided him into her.

They lay still for a moment both adjusting to new sensation. "Calleigh" Eric moaned as he started moving within her.

"Eric, oh God" she moaned as she raked her nails down his back and grabbed his ass to pull him closer and deeper.

The sensation was almost too much for Eric to bear; to hear her moan his name in such a way spurred him on and began thrusting harder and deeper. He knew she was close when he felt her internal muscles clench around him so he reached behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist for better leverage and he thrust into her.

Calleigh felt as though she was going to combust when her orgasm hit. Sensing he was close too his own release, Calleigh reached down and grabbed his ass and encouraged him to go deeper and harder.

It was all he needed and he climaxed spilling his seed deep within her as he screamed out her name. Falling on top of her in exhaustion, Eric kissed her deeply and stayed inside her waiting for his breathing to come under control.

"That was so worth the wait" he said between breathes

"More than worth it" she replied kissing him deeply.

"Damn" he muttered dropping his head onto her shoulder

"What?" she asked confused

"I didn't use anything"

"It's covered" she replied stroking his cheek

"You're sure?" he asked looking her deep in the eyes.

"Yes" as soon as she replied she felt him begin to harden within her "why Mr. Delko you sure do recover fast"

"Good Cuban stock" he joked and they began round two of their lovemaking.

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**TBC….What do yo think? Good or Bad. I am not very good at writing sex scenes so please let me know what you think.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry about the delay...writer's block hit hard again.**

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Eric woke the next morning to the smell of fresh brewed coffee. Rolling over to look at his alarm clock he noted the time, 7:45 am, threw back the covers and slowly got out of bed. He knew, by the smell of the coffee that Calleigh was already awake. As little sleep as Calleigh usually got at night she always managed to be a chipper person in the morning; something that always drove him crazy.

"Hey there sleepy head" she said from the door

"Hey" he replied as he looked through his closet for something to wear

"There's coffee"

"I know I can smell it" he joked

"Hey don't make fun, it's your special blend or whatever it is you buy" she said as approached him "So no awkwardness huh?"

"I thought we agreed last night there wouldn't be" he said pulling a shirt off its hangar

"Just checking" she said before giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

Eric chuckled. After making love for the third time that night they actually came down long enough to have a serious talk about 'them.' They agreed to not make things awkward in the morning but to rather just go with the flow of things and to see where it led them. They had no reason to be awkward, they were adults and it was pretty obvious that this was something they both wanted.

In any other relationship he would have thought things were moving too fast but with Calleigh, well he and Calleigh were well beyond that stage. He chuckled again when he noticed her clothes. She had actually packed a bag before coming over to his place; she'd planned everything.

"_A southern woman is always prepared"_ She'd said to him when laughed about her having planned to seduce him.

"I'm gonna head into work. I'll see you there" she said grabbing her stuff

"I'll be right behind you" he replied grabbing her and kissing her passionately

"Keep doing that and I will never leave" she said wrapping her arms around his neck and playing with the hairs there.

"I can deal with that" he replied kissing her again.

"Don't think Horatio could"

"Ugh you know how to kill a mood" he said as he pulled away

"I'll make it up to you"

"Promise?" he asked with his best puppy dog face

She kissed him quickly on the lips "I promise" she replied picking up her stuff and leaving his room being sure to sway her hips as she went.

Eric smirked. _Oh the possibilities _he thought to himself as he got his stuff together to take a shower.

"And don't be late" she yelled

"I won't" he yelled back

* * *

Eric being Eric was fifteen minutes late to work that morning. As he entered the scene he couldn't help but chuckle to himself about the events that made him late and what Calleigh's reaction was going to be.

"You're late" she muttered from behind her camera as he came to stand next to her

"Hey it wasn't my fault"

Calleigh merely looked at him

Eric was about to explain when Horatio joined them

"Eric" said Horatio

"H look I know I'm late but"

"Dispatch informed me of the accident you stopped to help at. I was merely going to ask you to dust for prints"

"No problem" he replied a little embarrassed and Horatio left. He immediately turned to Calleigh "see I told you it wasn't my fault"

"I didn't say anything" she said in her best sweet and innocent voice

"No but you were going to"

"Prove it" she joked before going back to taking pictures

Knowing he couldn't, Eric just smiled and went about lifting any prints he could find; the entire time stealing glances in her direction. He'd always loved to watch her work and now that he knew what she looked like under her clothes he enjoyed it even more.

"Eric" Horatio called breaking him out of his daydream "did you find anything?"

"A couple of latent prints on the coffee table and on the door frame. I haven't gotten to the kitchen yet"

"As quickly as possible please"

"You got it" he replied. He glanced once more in Calleigh's direction only to find her not there. Figuring she'd moved onto another part of the house he went back to his task at hand.

Once he finished in the kitchen he again looked around for Calleigh. He found her in an upstairs bedroom photographing and lifting trace from an open window in the room.

"Hey" he said

"Hey, I think I found the point of entry" she said motioning toward the open window. "The screen has been cut and the mud we found downstairs near the body is the carpet in here"

"Maybe he used it as a way to get out"

"I don't think so. Why go out a second story window when there are plenty of ways to get out downstairs?"

"Still why come in up here when your target is downstairs?"

"That's a good question. We'll just have to let the evidence tell us" she replied putting some of the mud scrapings in her kit

Eric watched her

"You're doing it again"

"What?"

"Watching me" she said as she stood back up.

He could tell she wasn't mad but was playing along "what can I say? I like the view"

"Which view is that? Because that time it definitely wasn't my face you were looking at?"

He smiled. She had him "I take the fifth" he replied and she laughed

"Hey guys we're all set here" Frank said interrupting the moment

"Ok we'll meet you back at the lab" she replied the smile slipping slightly from her face

Frank nodded and left.

"Guess we better get back to the lab" Eric offered "Ladies first" he said pointing to the door

"Oh no not this time" she replied

Eric laughed. He knew she was turning the tables on him and for fun he wiggled his hips a little as he walked out of the room. He was rewarded with a giggle. They were still laughing and joking when they exited the house and made their way towards the hummer.

Off in the distance a lone figure watched them "_Things just got a little more interesting around here"_ Horatio thought to himself as he put his glasses back on and got into his vehicle.

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**TBC….Ok so tell me what you think because as usual, my muse loves the reviews!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ok I just got back from Arizona and I guess a week in the mountains helped my muse cuz I just seemed to be able to push out this chapter tonight!! Enjoy!**

* * *

Calleigh squinted into the microscope, adjusting the focus on the sides to get a better look at the trace of the mud she collected at the scene. She could determine from looking at it that the mud found in the victim's home was not from her front yard but had been transferred from another location. She was so engrossed in her examined that she did not hear the door to lab open.

Suddenly two large hands came to rest on her hips and a warm breathe on her neck. "What are you doing?" she asked without removing her eyes from the scope

"Just trying to get a better look at your results"

"Well" she said covering his hands with hers "the focus on the scope is here" taking his hands and putting them on the sides of the scope "and you look here, not at my neck" she finished turning around in the little enclosed space his arms now created.

"Is that how this thing works?" Eric replied

Calleigh narrowed her eyes at him, feigning anger "We're at work"

"I was working"

"On what exactly?"

"Lots of things" he said looking her up and down, licking his lips as he did

"I'm not on the menu Mr. Delko" she joked "Did you get the results on the prints?"

Eric laughed "Yeah all the prints matched the family and since Mr. Winters and the son have an alibi"

"They were camping with the neighbor and his son" she finished for him

"Exactly so no outside prints. Do you get anything on the mud?"

"Actually yes; it's not from the Winters' yard. The mud contains enzymes that aren't usually found in soil you'd find in someone's backyard"

"How so?"

"The soil was high in Nitrogen"

"So it's possible it came from the Everglades"

She nodded "That makes the husband a suspect; they were camping in the Everglades"

"Based on the time of death and the temperature in the house there is no way Mr. Winters could've slipped away or even killed his wife before he left for the camping trip"

"So we've hit a dead end"

"Here yes; let's see if Frank turned up anything in his canvas with the neighbors"

Eric nodded "Does this mean we're working late tonight?"

"You have one track mind" she giggled

"Well you promised"

"I know"

"As long as you haven't forgotten"

"You're hopeless"

* * *

As it turns out the nosey old woman from across the street had seen a man in his mid thirties coming and going from the house during the day for several weeks.

"Mr. Winters were you aware your wife was having an affair?" Calleigh asked

"Excuse me?"

"You're neighbor, Mrs. Dolby said she's seen a man, who isn't you visiting your home during the day" replied Eric

"Mrs. Dolby is nosey"

"But she's right?" asked Calleigh

"I had my suspicions. Mary started spending more time at the gym, she put us all on diet; hell she even started wearing make up on a regular basis. She was a stay at home mom, so that was sort of a dead give away"

"Did you have anything to do with the death of your wife?"

"No"

"So you didn't mind that she was having an affair?" questioned Eric

Winters remained silent

"Mr. Winters?"

"I couldn't really say anything since I was having one of my own"

"What's her name?" asked Calleigh

"Look the woman just lost her husband and we work together"

"So you felt bad for her and took advantage?"

"No it's not like that"

"Her name Mr. Winters"

"Deborah Hanson"

It was Calleigh's turn to be shocked "Excuse me"

Eric could see Calleigh visibly stiffen. He really hoped that Deborah Hanson was a common name and it wasn't the same woman who lost her husband in the café.

"It was after Marc died and it just happened"

"Did it keep happening?" asked Eric

"No"

"So you don't blame your wife for having an affair?" asked Calleigh who seemed to recover slightly

"Was I mad? Hell yes. But I can't say I blame her. I was always at work or busy to pay any attention to her. I don't know in a way I felt relieved"

"Relieved?" asked Eric

"Yeah there were no expectations from her when I came home. Look all I ever wanted was for my wife to be happy and once in a long time she was. I know it sounds twisted but that is the way I look at it. Maybe that is why Deborah and I happened"

"Did Mrs. Hanson have any expectations from your affair?" asked Calleigh

"She had nothing to do with this"

"Is that a no?" asked Eric

"That is a no. She felt worse about what happened than I did and we really haven't spoken since. As far as I know she is taking a leave of absence from the company to go stay with her mother because…because she is having trouble making ends meet without Marc"

Eric could tell Calleigh was struggling to keep her composure but knowing Calleigh the way he did; he also knew she wouldn't want to stop the interview because it would seem unprofessional "Do you recognize this man?" Eric asked sliding a sketch of a man across the table

Mr. Winter examined the picture for a moment "He sort of looks like Josh; Josh Hages. We hired him several months ago to re landscape our yard"

"Commercial landscaper" Eric said a loud

"Who would have high concentrations of Nitrogen in mud stuck to his boots" finished Calleigh "Thank you Mr. Winters, we'll be in touch" she added before getting out of her chair and rushing out of the room.

Eric immediately followed

"Ok I'll call Frank and ask him to bring in this Josh Hages"

"Calleigh"

"See if you can pull up his DMV photo and show it to Mrs. Dolby so she can make a positive i.d."

"Calleigh stop" Eric said placing a hand on her arm to stop her forward motion "Are you ok?" he asked making her turn towards him

"Eric, I really don't want to talk about this right now"

"It's not your fault" he said putting his hands on her upper arms

"Part of me knows that" she replied looking down at the floor

"But?" he asked

"But the other half feels that if that day never happened..."

"Calleigh Winters wife was having an affair long before Johnson walked into that café. What happened after is none of your fault. We can't control what people do with their lives"

Calleigh finally looked up to meet his gaze. She looked deep into the eyes of the man who had captured her heart and quiet possibly made her a better person. And he was right; she couldn't control what people did with their lives. "Thank you" she replied putting her hands on his hips.

"Anytime" he replied before they both dropped their hands and separated. "Let's go find Josh Hages shall we?"

"Lets"

* * *

**TBC….Ok be sure to review and let me know what you think.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ok here is another chapter...once again my muse took a vacation and isn't really back yet but I managed to eek this chapter out. Enjoy!**

* * *

Eric and Calleigh pulled up to the plush house in Coconut Grove. His office told them they could find Josh working on a large landscaping job in the Grove. The ride out was spent in relative silence but Eric could tell the wheels inside Calleigh's head were turning at an alarming rate.

"Nice house" commented Eric as they got out of the car

"He does well for himself. Not easy to get clients out here unless you are a major commercial contractor" replied Calleigh

"Maybe he provides extra services" joked Eric as they walked towards the work truck

"Mr. Hages, Calleigh Duquesne and Eric Delko, CSI"

"My office told me you were coming"

"Then you know why we're here?" asked Eric who was sure to note the mud caked on the man's work boots

"No not really"

"Allison Winters, Mr. Hages. She was found dead this morning in her home" replied Calleigh

"What?" he asked the shock obvious on his face

"You're telling us you had no idea she was dead?" asked Calleigh

"No. I swear"

"You didn't meet up with her considering her husband and son were away for the night camping?" questioned Eric

"Look, we were sleeping together but I haven't seen her over a week"

"Why?"

"I got put on this job. It's a little hard to get from the Grove to her home before her husband gets home. I don't have that much freedom"

"How long has this job been going on?"

"These people wanted their entire front and back done, job's been going on for about two weeks and we're no where near done. Guy calls my boss and says he wants to expand the job so bunch of us got pulled off other jobs to work on this"

"And you haven't had any contact with Mrs. Winters since?"

"She called me last night"

"Around what time was that?" asked Eric

"11:00pm but I was here busy"

"You're telling me you worked on someone's lawn until 11 o'clock at night?" retorted Eric

"These women are lonely"

"And you keep them company?" finished Calleigh

Hages didn't answer

"Does your landscaping company work in the Everglades or in any Industrial parks?" continued Calleigh

"Sometimes"

"Been to any of those sites lately?" asked Eric

"Why do you ask?"

"We found mud in the Mrs. Winters' home that has high concentrations of Nitrogen. The Nitrogen could be found in two places the Everglades or in soil used by Commercial landscapers. Can we see your boots?"

Hages followed their gazed to his feet before looking back up at them "My boots are going to have soil on them. I haven't been to the Everglades and I haven't worked on any commercial projects in over a month"

"Still we'd like to see your boots and get a sample of the soil you import to your jobs" replied Calleigh pointing to the bags of soil stacked on the back of the near by truck

Hages thought for a moment but finally relented and bent down and removed his boots and handed them to Eric "We don't use that type of soil in residential areas; it would kill the grass and plant life"

"We'll take some anyway" replied Calleigh giving the man a little smile. "You done?" she asked Eric

"Yeah" He replied bagging the soil scrapings

"Good can I get back to work now?"

"We're almost done Mr. Hages. When you were finished here where did you go?"

"I went home"

"Alone?"

"Yes"

"Ok Mr. Hages you can go back to work but don't leave town; we'll be in touch"

As she watched him walk away Calleigh had the distinct feeling the wasn't telling them everything but without any evidence to contrary she couldn't do anything

"You think he's telling us the truth?" Eric asked as if reading her thoughts

"No, he's definitely hiding something"

"Yeah well this soil will tell us if he was there or not" Eric replied holding up the sample he scraped off the man's boots

* * *

After analyzing the soil sample from Hages's boots and the soil from the bags on the work truck it turned out the soils didn't match.

"Looks like he was telling the truth about not being in the Glades or any commercial landscape sites" Eric said as he read the report as Calleigh entered the lab

'To be honest I didn't think it would"

"I don't follow"

"I showed Mrs. Dolby a picture of Hages and while she had seen him on several occasions coming and going from the home he wasn't the man she saw leaving the day before the murder. Although the man did look a little like Hages"

"She was having an affair with another landscaper?"

"Maybe, when we were at the house in the Grove I saw a man working who from all accounts could be mistaken for Hages, except he was slightly taller and looked younger"

"But to a nosy old woman could look like Hages"

Calleigh nodded "Hages said his boss pulled other workers off other jobs to work the Grove house"

"Maybe one of those workers also worked for the Winters" finished Eric "Yeah well they're probably all done for the day so we can head back out there tomorrow"

"Yeah there isn't anything else we do here tonight. I'll have Frank get a list of all the workers assigned to the Grove job and any who might have worked the Winters property at some point or another"

"Does that mean we get to go home?" Eric asked suggestively

Calleigh laughed "You really are hopeless"

"You wouldn't have it any other way" he said leaning in

"You're right" she said leaning towards him but then stopped "but we're still at work so none of that" she said lightly pushing him away and leaving him to go find Frank

"That was mean" he called out to her

"I'll see you at yours" she called back

* * *

**TBC…Ok so tell me what you think! I promise more E/C loving in future chapters**


	13. Chapter 13

**Two chapters in one night...I'd say my muse is back..for now anyhow!! This chapter was my second attempt at smut so really this time be sure to tell me what you think!**

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Eric scanned his through his mail as he closed to the door to his apartment. Not finding anything interesting, he threw it and his keys on the end table by the door and quickly scanned the immediate area for evidence of a visitor. Not seeing anything he figured he was alone and headed to the kitchen to fix them dinner. As he neared his living room he could make out the soft glow of candle light and standing there in the middle of the room, clad only in a robe was Calleigh.

"I was beginning to think you would never come home" she replied seductively

"How long have you been here?" he asked taking in took her appearance in; all the while contemplating the ways he could remove her robe.

"Long enough"

"What's all this?" he asked; as if he didn't already know.

"Well I did promise to make it up to you" she replied grabbing hold of one of the robe ties and pulling it loose. The robe fell open and she gently pushed it off her shoulders "how's this?"

Eric's mouth fell open. There was his Calleigh standing in his apartment in nothing but a blue negligee. Needless to say he was speechless

"Well if you don't like it, I could always get dressed" she said bending over to pick up her discarded robe.

Her actions snapped Eric out of his reverie and immediately crossed the room in a few steps and wrapped his arms around her "I don't think so" he said before kissing her passionately

"So I take it you like?" she said breaking the kiss

Looking down between them and taking in her appearance again "Oh I definitely like" he replied before picking her up and carrying her to his bedroom.

Once inside his room he gently laid her down and backed away enough to take in her beautiful form sprawled on his bed. She was beautiful and he still couldn't believe she was here, half naked on his bed.

"You gonna stand there and stare all night?"

"I could. I could stare at you forever" he replied as he slowly ran his hands up her thighs towards her breasts.

Calleigh let out a small moan.

"You're perfect" he muttered as he squeezed one of her breasts. To be honest, he didn't know where to start. Sure, he'd had other women dress up for him like she had but none of them could hold a candle to her so he wanted to savor the moment and mark every inch of her in the negligee to memory.

He was vaguely aware that she had started to unbutton his shirt with one hand being sure to take her time with each button but he didn't care; he was transfixed. Sitting up, Calleigh leaned in and whispered into his ear "I have other ones at home"

Her words snapped him back to reality and he captured her lips in a deep kiss while helping her remove his shirt. Once his shirt was gone she moved to his belt and quickly opened his pants, pushing them down his legs.

Eric made short work of her lacy bra, carelessly throwing it over his shoulder to land somewhere on his floor; his pants soon followed. He could feel his erection straining to be released from his boxers and he nearly lost it when Calleigh reached into them and lightly squeezed him. "Oh God" he moaned latching onto one of her breasts

Calleigh moaned and arched her back pushing her breast into his mouth which seemed to spur Eric on. "_God, the man could do amazing things with his mouth." _She thought to herself. Once finished with her breasts, she let Eric gently pushed her down on the bed and watched as he slowly kissed and nipped his way down her body till he reached the edge of panties.

Hooking the straps of her panties with his thumbs he pulled them down and off her legs. Once gone he placed small kisses on her inner thigh before moving to her most sensitive spot. As soon as he made contact, Calleigh bucked slightly on the bed and he couldn't help smile at the reaction he elicited from her.

"Eric" she moaned as he licked and lapped at her; her orgasm coming in a long hard wave that shook her to the core. Once finished, Eric worked his way back up her body and kissed her passionately on the lips. She could taste herself on his lips and it turned her on. "Wow" she muttered "but I believe I said I would make it up to you" she added pushing him to lie flat on his back.

"Cal" he muttered but she silenced him with a finger to his lips as it was his turn to be tortured by her mouth as she kissed and licked her way down his chest and abdomen. She made quick work of his boxers before starting her slow and tantalizing assault on him. "Calleigh" he moaned as she took him in her mouth. Eric gripped the sheets as hard as he could as he watched her head slowly rise and fall through half open eyes. He wanted so much to touch her but he didn't want it to seem as though she had to what she was doing. On the other hand, he didn't want things to be over quickly so he stopped her and pulled her up on top of him, quickly rolling them before she could protest.

Time seemed to slow as they just lay there for a moment staring into each other eyes. Eric could see something in her eyes that he had never seen in the eyes of any women before Calleigh; unending trust and love. He was sure she saw too in his eyes because her expression softened and she smiled slightly before gently kissing him on the lips and encouraging to him to continue.

Of course it didn't take much encouraging and Eric slowly entered her being sure to give her a minute to adjust to him before started to make love to her. Their pace started slow but soon escalated and became erratic. He wanted it to last but Calleigh's earlier ministrations on him made it difficult to keep the longevity as his orgasm washed over him like a tidal wave. Ignoring his body's need to stop he continued to push forward until he felt Calleigh reach her peak.

Collapsing on top of her, Eric willed his breathing back to normal before removing a stray strand of hair from her face and kissing her long and slow. "Worth the wait?" she panted

"You have no idea"

* * *

**TBC….What did you think? Good, Bad or someting else? Tell me!**


	14. Chapter 14

**I am on a roll tonight and my muse is on fire!! Enjoy.**

* * *

Eric felt as though he died and gone to heaven; or at least heaven was lying in his arms. She looked like an angel, her golden hair sprayed over his chest and her lips tweaked up in a smile. Of course his ego swelled because he knew he was the reason she was smiling. Her little surprise the night before had just reinforced the notion that the sleeping woman in his arms would never cease to amaze him.

"Hey" he said when she stirred and opened her eyes

"Hey. What time is?" she asked propping her chin on his chest

"Little before 7am" he replied looking at the clock on the nightstand

"Hmm I don't want to get up"

"Unfortunately we have to" he replied playing with an errant strand of her hair

"Think anyone would find it suspicious if we both called in sick?"

Eric chuckled "Maybe not me but you have never taken a sick since you started working here"

"First time for everything" she replied starting to nod off

"Well this is a first"

"What?"

"Miss morning person can't seem to get out of bed"

"Can I help it if someone kept me up all night and wore me out?" she asked kissing him lightly on the lips

"Speaking of which how many more colors do you have at home?"

"You'll just have to be surprised now won't you" she joked kissing him deeply as he rolled on top of her.

Once at the lab Frank gave Calleigh a list of employees who had been pulled off other jobs to work the house in Coconut Grove. Of all the names, only two fitted the criteria they were looking for. In truth it was only one because one of the males was African American and as old as Mrs. Dolby was there was no way she could mistake a 6'3" African American male for someone who looked like the 5'8" Hages.

"Well excluding Marcus Whales that leaves us with Louis Stuger" said Eric "and not only did he work at the Winters home he also worked on a commercial site and was still working it when he was put on the Grove home"

"I think Mr. Stuger's shoes deserve a looking at"

"I'll drive" he said as they headed for the elevators.

As she followed him Calleigh couldn't believe how easily they seemed to be able to separate work from their private life. It was hard to believe to that just two hours earlier they were in bed naked and now they were working together as if nothing had happened. She found it amazing that they were able to keep their hands off each other considering how hard they seemed to go at it when they were in bed.

"Penny for your thoughts" he asked as they waited for the elevator

"Gonna cost you more than a penny" she replied entering the empty elevator car

Once the door was closed Eric reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter which earned a chuckle from Calleigh "it's more than a penny"

"Its good thoughts I promise"

"Good" he replied putting the penny back in his pocket

"Now what?" asked Hages when he saw them approaching

"Actually Mr. Hages we're not here to see you" replied Calleigh "We're here to see Louis Stuger"

"Louis?"

"Yeah is he here?" asked Eric

"Uhh yeah he's around back"

"Thank you" replied Calleigh before she and Eric headed around to back of the house.

Once in the backyard they spotted Stuger planting a shrub. Both immediately took note of his worn down boots which had visible stains on them from repeated exposure to Nitrogen.

"Louis Stuger" called Eric "Delko and Duquesne Miami Crime Lab"

"Yeah I know I saw you guys here yesterday"

"Then we will cut right to the chase" started Calleigh "Were you having an affair with Allison Winters?"

"If I was?"

"You're aware she was murdered yesterday?"

"I heard and yes we were sleeping together"

"When was the last time you saw her?" asked Eric

"The night she died I was at her place. Her husband was out."

"We're gonna need to see your boots" replied Calleigh

"I didn't kill her"

"We found mud high in Nitrogen in an upstairs room of her house can you explain that?"

"Yeah I snuck out the window"

"Why?"

"I thought her husband had come home, she got a phone a few minutes before and she became agitated about so I just assumed it was him. I went upstairs to hide and when I heard the voices coming closer I headed out the window"

"Was it her husband?" asked Eric

"Man, I don't know I just got the hell out of there but I swear she was alive when I left"

"Did you recognize the voice?"

"It sounded familiar but it was muffled because the door was closed"

"Were you aware that Josh Hages was also sleeping with Allison Winters?"

"Who doesn't that guy sleep with? Sometimes he drags the jobs out longer so he can spend more time with his ladies. Some of the women even pay him for his services"

"Was he dragging his feet on the Winters job?"

"Bet your ass. Son of Bitch got me put on this damn job too"

"When was that?"

"Three days ago"

"Did he know about you and Mrs. Winters?"

"I don't think so. I mean I took over his everyday work at her house when got assigned here but I did see him at her house the day before I assigned here"

"He said he hadn't seen her in two weeks" pointed out Eric

"Well I can't say he looked happy when he left but he was there"

"Did you ask her about it?" questioned Eric

"She wouldn't talk to me about it but she didn't seem happy about it"

"You said she got a phone call?" asked Calleigh

"Yeah like I said I thought it was her husband"

"Ok Mr. Stuger we're gonna take your prints and a DNA if that is alright with you"

"If it proves that I didn't kill her take whatever you want"

After taking the samples they needed Eric and Calleigh decided to go back and talk to Hages.

"You know Stuger said some of the women paid Hages for his services"

"Yeah?" asked Eric

"What if they weren't paying him for his services but for him to keep his mouth shut"

"He was blackmailing them" finished Eric

Calleigh nodded "And maybe Allison Winters wasn't willing to pay anymore and he thought Stuger was cutting in on his action"

"So he finds out that Stuger is sleeping with Allison, gets him reassigned here so he can't see her and when he tries to get back with Allison she says no and that she is not going to pay him anymore" concluded Eric

"Now we just need to find evidence of that" replied Calleigh

"You know Stuger said she got the phone call but Hages said Winters called him. We can dump his luds find out who is telling the truth"

"That's not going to be enough. Stuger said Hages likes to drag his heels on jobs so lets see if he's been dragging his heels on this one"

* * *

**TBC….Ok there is one more chapter...please be sure to review**


	15. Chapter 15

**Ok this is it...the last chapter. I honestly didn't think I would ever finish this story considering my muse's extended vacation!! Thanks again for all the reviews. I'm glad you guys liked the story.**

* * *

As it turned out Hages was sleeping with the lady of the Coconut Grove house and he was indeed blackmailing her as he was all the other women he slept with. The women told them that Hages had placed a call to someone, became agitated and then left. A check on his luds confirmed that he had called Allison Winters and not the other way around as he had claimed.

"Huges we found your prints on a foyer table in the Winters home" explained Calleigh

"I told you I was sleeping with her"

"You also said you hadn't seen or been to her house in over a week. These prints were recent and I don't think their cleaning lady forgets to clean the tops of the tables" replied Eric

"We also have statements from several of the women you worked for stating that once you started an affair with them you blackmailed them. Told them if you paid them you wouldn't tell their husbands" added Calleigh

"Cute Mutt and Jeff routine" he muttered "Tell me" he said looking at Eric "you sleeping with her?"

Eric remained silent but he wanted nothing more than throttle the man.

"Take that as a yes" Stuger muttered

"Only Allison Winters didn't want to pay anymore so you decided to teach her a lesson" Calleigh continued ignoring Hages accusation

"I gave these women what wanted." He said looking right at Calleigh. "What they craved; what their husbands didn't give them. There is nothing hotter than sneaking around behind someone's back; makes the sex hot" Hages ranted "Wouldn't you agree?"

Calleigh continued to ignore him "We have a statement from one woman who said you threatened her with violence if she didn't pay you"

"It's all about lust and fulfilling each others need. Love is a crock. Hey man, tell me if I'm hitting any notes here" This time he turned to Eric and taunted him again.

"Mr. Hages" warned Calleigh. She was getting a little tired of his ranting.

"Bitch thought she was cute because she started banging Louis. As if I didn't know"

"So you tried to blackmail her on that too but she wouldn't go for it" replied Eric

"Yeah I heard Louis talking to her on the phone about how her husband would be out of town and he could go over. I called her and gave her one last chance to reconsider"

"You figured you could frame Louis and get rid of someone who didn't want to pay you"

"Yeah something like that" he replied nonchalantly

"You're a piece of work you know that?" spat Eric "Using women to make money. You're no better than a pimp"

"I just gave them what they wanted"

"And they owed you" finished Calleigh

"They didn't think twice about what they were doing until I mentioned their husbands"

"Well you'll have plenty of time to think about what you did; 25 yrs to be exact" said Calleigh who nodded to an officer to remove take Hages into custody.

"Guy thought he had all that answers to making a quick buck" Eric said as they watched Hages be lead away in cuffs

"He wasn't counting on Allison Winter putting her foot down" replied Calleigh

Later that night while they lay in bed Calleigh could tell something was bothering Eric. "You're bothered by what Hages said today aren't you?"

"He was right about us being together"

"But that is about it; unless you think this is all about lust and us acting like a couple of teenagers who feel like sneaking around?" she asked getting a little defensive

"What? No I don't think that"

"Look you know I am not good at letting people in and I trust you implicitly…"

"Calleigh?"

"I don't think love is a crock"

Eric's heart swelled "Neither do I"

"But something he said upset you"

"I was him"

"Eric"

"I used to do the same thing; one night stands, I got what I wanted and then forgot about them. I just didn't take money"

"You're nothing like Hages" she replied propping herself up to look him in the eye

Eric looked deep into her eyes; the last person in the world who would lie to him was Calleigh and he could tell she was telling him the truth. Pushing a stray hair behind her ear he caressed her cheek. "This isn't just about lust"

"No it isn't" she replied before kissing him and letting him cover her with his body. _"No"_ she thought _"this was definitely more than just lust and to think it all started with an act of kindness"_

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**The End..Ok so that is that. What do you think? Let me know**


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